‘Being prepared for job interviews is overrated’, said no one ever. The first interview is the most important in a series of interviews for a job role. You must ace that interview to be invited to the next round and eventually receive the job offer. Thus preparation for your job interview is vital. There are five necessary steps to prepare to ace your next job interview that I delve into below.
Step 1: Extensively research the company.
The key to excelling at a job interview is knowledge about the company. Once you understand the company’s vision, mission, goals, values, target market and culture. You will know which of your experiences and qualifications to highlight, how to approach the interview, engaging questions to ask and how you can contribute to achieving their strategic objectives.
- The company website: The company site is your first place to search. Be sure to pour over the website and read about us, investors and media sections. Please take note of their values, vision, mission and significant announcements.
- Social media accounts: If this is your dream company, follow all their social media accounts and review their top and most recent posts. Follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, and they are active and responsive on social media and engage with their posts in a meaningful way.
- Mentions in the news: Do a google search of the company and select the news filter. Read the most recent articles in the last three months to be fully abreast of the latest news. You may discover some adverse news reports that you can ask about during the interview.
- Industry reports: several consulting firms produce free industry reports. You can also check Canadian Industry Statistics, Government of Canada and the Conference Board of Canada.
- Annual reports (if publicly listed): If the company is publicly traded, their annual reports are easily accessible and available online and can provide a wealth of information on its short-medium and long term strategy.
- Company reports from local libraries: I believe I mentioned the importance of public libraries in every post. You have access to so many resources through your public library. See your public library resource page for the company and other reports.
- Job posting sites: Check out Glassdoor for company reviews, Interview tips and salary information. You can also find more information on LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Career Builder and others.
- Informational interviews: These are the best ways to get an insider’s view of the company or role you’re applying for. Aim to schedule a few informational interviews before you submit your application with people who work for the company or people who are currently in the role or department you aim to apply to. Check out our video on the 7 Do’s and Don’ts of Professional networking to get some tips to approach people for informational interviews.
Step 2: Study the job description and posting.
The next necessary step to prepare for the job interview is to study the job description and know it inside and out. When you have decided to apply for a job, the first thing to do is to copy and paste the job interview into a Word document and save it. At times Job postings can be taken down when companies receive enough applicants, and you will often refer to the job description right before your interview.
There are usually four areas of a job description that you need to master if not memorize.
- Company and department information: you want to highlight and understand the department’s goals and vision you hope to join and show how your skills and experience will add to their growth.
- Summary of job tasks: most of the time, these are listed in order of priority. Prepare examples from your experience with results for each task.
- Required qualifications: Aim to meet about 60% of these, and the rest boils down to how well you can demonstrate to the hiring managers the value you bring to the team.
- Preferred or desired qualifications: This is also known as the hiring manager’s wish list. If you have some of these remarkable qualities, be sure to have your examples ready to highlight them early on in the interview.
At this point, it is common for imposter syndrome to deter you from applying for the job. Remember, they are pluses, not minuses.
Important Note: The job description is a blueprint but not the plan. Some JDs do not fully capture the primary needs of the hiring manager. Carefully read the JD to identify gaps or questions. The goal of the interview is to find out what the hiring manager is looking for and show how you are precisely the candidate to get the job done.
Step 3: Prepare examples with the SPARR method.
When you prepare for your job interview, it’s essential to have a few examples for each bullet point in the job description.
Prepare your examples using the SPARR method:
🔹Situation: Briefly set the stage and give the listener an ability to picture you in the situation. Include the year, company, department and the number of people involved.
🔹Problem: Describe the immediate issue or task that needed to be solved or accomplished.
🔹Action: What steps did you take to or lead to achieving the desired outcome.
🔹Result: Details on the outcome and its impact on your department and company overall. Prepare to be specific and clear on what improved or changed.
🔹Reflection: Note down what the learnings were, whether there was a good or bad outcome.
The Reflection can be optional, and you can strategically weave them into telling your stories. However, it is useful for you to show that there were lessons learned in stressful situations. Interviewers need to see that even though there was a negative outcome, you have learnt to improve for the future.
Adopting this method takes practice, and it can be helpful to repeat the stories several times. Prepare 4 to 5 stories using this example until the SPARR technique becomes second nature.
Always start with the situation, then describe the problem clearly and succinctly. Aim to spend the most time and provide detail on your actions and the results.
Step 4: Practice and arrange a mock interview.
The saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” Practicing before a job interview can be ten times better if you have a mock interview. Take the time to arrange a mock meeting with a trusted colleague, a friend or a career coach.
You can also record your answers to typical interview questions and send the video to a few people for feedback. In my first mock interview many years ago, the interviewer pointed out that I roll my eyes a lot when I am thinking. Rolling your eyes can send the wrong signal to many people who are unfamiliar with your quirks and mannerisms. You can learn to master or be conscious of certain peculiarities when you do a mock interview.
Ahead of your upcoming interview, remember to plan a mock interview at least a day ahead.
Sign up for one of our interview prep sessions to sharpen your skills before the big day.
Step 5: Do a trial visit or prep your virtual space
Set the stage for your interview and have a dress rehearsal.
For in-person interviews, take the time to make the journey to the office building. You want to have an idea of travel time and the journey. A trial visit can help avoid any surprises such as construction, parking limitations or complicated bus or train routes. Plan a 10 minute buffer time to arrive before the interview or a maximum of 20 minutes.
If making a trial trip is more complicated, then study the route on google maps. Also, do a street view of the area to get to know the landmarks.
For virtual or phone interviews, prepare a dedicated area. Have your resume and job description printed or open on your screen. Test your video, sound and audio settings, clear any funky backgrounds and close all browsers and windows.
Make sure you find a quiet and private space, and if you live with others, let them know you will need the place to yourself as much as possible.
Be sure to have a good night’s sleep and do a calming breathing exercise right before starting.
Bonus step
Prepare significant interview questions to help you stand out.
Do you know that the questions you ask in an interview can set you apart from other candidates? Avoid asking the generic questions that every candidate asks and stand out.
Though many interviewers will leave sometime in the end for you to ask questions, you want to take the opportunity to ask one or two questions during the interview if you run out of time.
Check out our blog post on “Top 15 questions to ask during your next job interview” to get an idea of great questions to ask your interviewer.
There you have it, five crucial steps to take to prepare to ace your job interview. This is the first post of our Ace Your interview series. Next in the series is the five ways to impress the interviewer during your interview.